Heart Association wins battle against worst killer of women

Heart disease is the leading cause of death among women in Indiana. Approximately 9,145 Hoosier women died in 2010 from major cardiovascular diseases. Despite this public health crisis, for years Indiana has been one of eight states that did not receive any type of funding for heart disease and stroke prevention and treatment programs from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

After many years of American Heart Association volunteers traveling to Washington to advocate for increased funding for Indiana to address heart disease and stroke among women, the Indiana State Department of Health has finally received Centers for Disease Control and Prevention funding from its WISEWoman Program.

The Well-Integrated Screening for Evaluation (WISE) for Women Across the Nation program provides low-income, under-insured and uninsured women with standard cardiovascular disease screening services, including blood pressure, cholesterol and diabetes. In order to be eligible for the WISEWoman Program, women must be enrolled in the existing Indiana Breast and Cervical Cancer Program. Women found to be at risk during the WISEWoman screening process are referred to lifestyle programs that target poor nutrition and physical inactivity such as healthy cooking classes, smoking cessation programs, and walking and exercise clubs.

With this funding, Indiana can continue to educate, screen and address the risk factors associated with heart disease and stroke to reduce the number of Hoosier women affected by it. The Indiana Department of Health will pilot the WISEWoman Program to screen 1,000 women in Indiana over a two-year period.

This is a tremendous accomplishment for Indiana and for the volunteer advocates from the American Heart Association who for many years diligently carried our state's critical message to federal lawmakers of the serious need to increase funding to the CDC for the WISEWoman Program. Let's leverage this first big step to work hard to reverse this tragic and costly public health crisis affecting women in Indiana.

Andrew B. Buroker

past national chairman

Tim Harms

communications director

American Heart Association

Midwest Affiliate

Indianapolis

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Heart Association wins battle against worst killer of women

Heart disease is the leading cause of death among women in Indiana. Approximately 9,145 Hoosier women died in 2010 from major cardiovascular diseases.